There is an increasing demand in the cosmetics industry to develop products that may be applied topically to the skin that improve the condition and appearance of skin. Consumers are interested in mitigating or delaying the dermatological signs of chronologically or hormonally-aged or photo-aged skin, such as fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin, and other conditions due to a progressive degradation of the dermal-epidermal junction (DEJ) and of the cell-cell cohesion in the epidermis. During the aging process, the complexion of the skin, i.e., the color and appearance of the skin, deteriorates slowly from aging and/or exposure to sunlight. Numerous cosmetic and medical treatments have been developed in an attempt to treat aging or aged skin.
A problem commonly encountered when using an active agent or ingredient derived from a natural plant material or plant seed is the relatively low level at which they are naturally present. Such low levels frequently require relatively large amounts of natural plant material, leaf, tissue or seed to be processed in order to obtain desired or useful quantities of actives. For rare plants or plant seeds, such large amounts may be unavailable or difficult to obtain. Therefore, there remains a general need in the cosmetics industry for products that retard or counter the aging effects on the skin, and more specifically for products that produce such effects without undesirable side effects. In particular, there remains a need for topically applied cosmetic compositions that have anti-aging and skin texture benefits using non-natural materials as active components.
It would be desirable to have a topical composition comprising a synthetic active agent which improves the condition and aesthetic appearance of skin. It would also be desirable to have an effective treatment for the dermatological signs of aging.
L-theanine is a non-protein amino acid. L-theanine is considered the main component responsible for the taste of green tea. L-theanine is marketed in Japan as a nutritional supplement for mood modulation. L-theanine is a derivative of L-glutamic acid. It is a water-soluble solid substance with the molecular formula C7H14O3N and a molecular weight of 160.19. L-theanine is also known as gamma-ethylamino-L-glutamic acid, gamma-glutamylethylamide, r-glutamylethylamide, L-glutamic acid gamma-ethylamide and L-N-ethylglutamine.
S-Methyl-L-Cysteine is an amino acid derivative having a molecular formula of C4H9NO2S and molecular weight of 135.19. S-Methyl-L-Cysteine is also known as L-Cys(Me).
S-Phenyl-L-Cysteine is an amino acid derivative having a molecular formula of C9H11NO2S and molecular weight of 197.3. S-Phenyl-L-Cysteine is also known as S-phenyl cysteine.
Safe, effective and novel compositions to treat, prevent, reduce, inhibit, and/or improve the dermatological signs of aging, would be advantageous for the formulation of treatments and products for the skin. As described herein, novel and beneficial methods and compositions, as well as their mode of action, for the treatment of wrinkles and the like, as well as for personal care products for the skin, are provided by the present invention.